If visiting in summer you are just a few hours’ drive from the beautiful beaches of Cape Cod, where you can explore the islands of Martha’s Vineyard, or in winter head for the mountains of Vermont for some wonderful family skiing.

If you are staying in Boston for a few days, a Go Boston Card is a great idea as it provides discounts to Boston’s top attractions, such as the Children’s Museum and the New England Aquarium, and allows card-holders fast-track admission, so you avoid the long queues.

Your city adventure starts here with our list of fun things to do with children in Boston.

Situated on the waterfront, the New England Aquarium is educational and amazing fun for kids! We loved that you can watch seals play in their enclosure from outside Boston aquarium while you queue to get in.

The penguins are so cute but the highlight has to be the towering cylindrical tank in the middle, 4 stories tall, that you can walk all around and view reef animals, including sea turtles, stingrays, eels and fish.

While there are a limited amount of tickets available for walk ups, you are best to book in advance.

This is a phenomenal place with lots of entertaining hands-on exhibits for little kids and older ones! Boston Children’s Museum is one of the leading children’s museums in the world and covers topics like science, space, construction, culture and art in the most fun way possible!

The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday with two separate admission timeslots, 9am–12pm and 1:30–4:30pm. Online reservations are required.

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Faneuil Hall (pronounced Fan-yule) and Quincy Market are a fun place to visit with kids. You will find plenty to see and do there, from shopping to concerts and events, and lots of street performers. See if you can find the magic and tricks shop Illusions when you visit for a browse of fun items.

You can enjoy plenty of family friendly eateries there too from Wagamama’s to Salty Dog where you can get seafood and chowder (pronounced chow-dah of course!).

The Boston Duck Tour is a great way to get to know Boston and your kids will absolutely love it! The unique amphibious vehicles (that look like big tanks) travel on the road and then into the Charles River for stunning skyline views.

Tours are informative and amusing and the kids are encouraged to quack at the people they pass on the street!

Boston has some of the most beautiful parks, all perfect for an impromptu family picnic. Boston Common is the country’s first public park and a traditional carousel operates here in the warmer months. The Boston Esplanade and Rose Kennedy Greenway are also good choices.

Pick up your picnic goodies at one of Boston’s specialty food markets or bakeries. Or enjoy some street food at one of the markets that take place in the Greenway and other Boston green spaces.

“Boston by Little Feet” is a special tour designed for children aged 6-12 years old along Boston’s Freedom Trail. Each child gets a free Explorers’ Map which they can follow as they learn about the city’s role in American independence and fun interesting attractions along the way.

Book your tickets online in advance and meet your guide in front of Faneuil Hall at the Samuel Adams statue.

Your sporty kids will love a visit to this old, iconic baseball ground. Fenway Park is known as “America’s most beloved ball park” and is home to the Boston Red Sox.

A tour of the Park is a must but try and take in a baseball game if you can to get the true classic Boston experience! If you do go for the tour, please note they only allow very small bags in.

ICA Boston

ICA Boston is a family-friendly contemporary gallery. Push-chairs are permitted through-out and there are baby-changing facilities in the men’s and ladies’ restrooms. Free Play Dates are held on the last Saturday of each month and are a great way to explore art with the kids, catch some dance performances and films, or squeeze in some hands-on art creation. When accompanied by kids 12 and under, up to 2 adults per family are admitted free the last Saturday of every month (apart from Nov & Dec).

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum also welcomes families. There are activities for families to enjoy together, and kid-friendly programs like Saturday Drop-in Art Activities in the Bertucci Education Studio. There is no admission charge for children under 18 and single strollers are permitted. The Museum offers tandem strollers to borrow on a first come, first served basis, available from the coat check.

Family guides for suggestions on fun ways to explore the Museum with children are available free of charge at the information area in the Living Room. Sketching materials are also provided free of charge near the Courtyard, just outside the Macknight Room.

Museum of Fine Arts Boston

At the MFA as it’s known for short, kids under 6 go free. The MFA has lots of exhibitions that will keep kids smiling for hours and programs to spark the imagination along with special events and in-gallery activities. Look out for Family Labels during your visit; strollers are permitted in the galleries and you can check out their tips for families visiting here.

Their Arts Connections activity cards are specially design for kids and families to help you discover MFA artworks together and learn about objects and images in the Museum’s collection, Download these self-guided activity sheets on your phone or print them out to bring with you during your visit to the Museum.

The Prudential Observatory occupies the 50th floor of the Prudential Center and here you get a 360 degree view of Boston, 750 feet above the city! On a clear day, you can see up to 100 miles away. You will get a bird’s eye view of Boston’s famous landmarks.

Headphones are provided to give you a free audio guide of the sites and attractions that you can see as well as a brief account of the city’s history and culture.

The Museum of Science is great for kids (and adults too)! There is so much to see and do that you really need a whole day to get around to all the fascinating exhibits. Highlights include the Electricity Show and the 4D Theatre which are just awesome.

The Butterfly Garden and Planetarium Shows are also superb. There’s even a nice playground across the street if the kids have any energy left!